Cable and rope holder



Dec. 4, 1962 A. w. SCHOLL CABLE AND ROPE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 24, 1960 INVENTOR A L LEN W. SCHOLL ATTORNEY Dec. 4, 1962 A. w. SCHOLL CABLE AND ROPE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24. 1960 FIG.6..

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INVENTOR Allen W. Scholfl ATTORNEY limited rates Patented Dec. i, 1962 free 3,066,373 CABLE AND RQPE Allen Scholi, Zliiti Wiltshire lilvd, Huntington It, W. Va Filed Aug. 2d, 5969, Ser. No. Slfitld 8 Siaims. (Cl. 24l3e} This invention relates to a means for releasably retaining ropes, cables and the like and more particularly to a cable or rope retaining means using a combined snubbing and binding action to prevent the passage of a rope or cable therethrough wherein the structure includes novel means for facilitating the release of the rope or cable.

it is known in the art that cable and rope holders may comprise a pair of fixed spaced upright posts or the like between which both lengths of a doubled rope or the like may be passed and snubbed around a movable binding post which is substantially as large in diameter as the distance between the spaced upright posts. Thus, when the rope or the like is placed under tension the movable binding post is pulled between the fixed upright posts by the action of the rope whereby the relative dimensions and spacing cause the rope to bind between the binding post about which it is snubbed and the fixed upright posts between which it passes with a force proportional to the tension on the rope.

in the case of high cable loads the binding action is so strong as to make it very diificult to rele"se the cable or rope from its arrested position between the respective posts. by the application of a force of a like magnitude to the cable load to the binding post, after the load has been removed from the cable, in order to move the binding post away from the fixed posts and effect a release of the cable.

it is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a novel rope and cable retaining means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rope and cable retaining means having a novel release structure which requires a minimum operating force.

These and other objects of this invention wiil become apparent with reference to the following specification and drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 comprises a perspective of the invention;

FlGURE 2 is a top plan view of the invention as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the invention as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of the invention as shown in FlGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is similar to FIGURE 2 showing a rope in active relationship with the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevation of a detail of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the embodiment of FIGURE 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the invention is shown as comprising a hollow rectangular body portion or bracket 16' having a plurality of flared end portions 3'2 at the rear end thereof with screw holes 14 or the like therein for the purpose of mounting the bracket to a suitable mounting surface (not shown).

The front end of thebracket it is open as shown in FEGURES 1 and 4. A pair of vertically disposed fixed parallel posts 15 are secured through the top web 18 and bottom web 2% of the hollow rectangular bracket it), one on either side of the open front end and immediately interior thereof.

Just behind the fixed posts 16 and directed along the central longitudinal axes of the top surface 18 and the bottom surface 2ft of the bracket 10 are a pair of elongated In many cases this may only be accomplished slots 22 and 2d, respectively. These slots are adapted to adjustably and slidabiy receive a vertical binding post 26 or the like having a diameter substantially equal to the distance separating the pair of fixed posts 16. The elongated slots 22 and 24 are both disposed so that the binding post 26 may be moved forward to a position substantially between the two fixed posts 16.

The binding post Ed is maintained in the elongated slots 22 and 24- by means of a bearing pin 23 extending transversely of and extend through the binding post 26. The bearing pin 28 is of such a length that it projects through a pair of cum surface forming slots 3i) and 32 located one in each side surface 34 and 36, respectively, of the bracket lid. T ese cam slots 3t? and 32 slope at an acute angle with respect to the bottom surface 2% of the bracket in extending upwardly from the lower front corner area of the side surfaces 34 and 36, respectively. The slanted sides of these elongated slots thus form cam surfaces along which the bearing pin 28 rides in response to any horizontal or vertical movement of the bindingpost as with respect to the bracket in FEGURE 5, a rope 38 is shown in proper position on the holder, as viewed from the top surface 18 of the bracket it as being passed between the fixed posts 16, around the binding post 26 and back out between the fixed posts 16.

Operation In operation, when a rope or cable 38 is positioned on the holder as shown in FIGURE 5 and any tension is placed thereon between the two ends thereof, the tension acts to pull the binding post as up between the fixed posts 16 whereby the rope 33 is held tightly by the resulting binding action thereon between the binding post 2.6 and the fixed posts 16.

When extra heavy tensile loads are expected to occur, in order to prevent initial slip of the rope or cable 38 through the holder, the binding post 26 may b forced downward by a sledge or the like whereby the bearing pin 23 engages the lower cam surfaces formed by the cam slots and 32 tending to force the binding post 26 forward between the fixed posts 16 whereby the binding action on the rope or cable therebetween is increased.

During the application of heavy tensile loads to the rope or cable 35, the binding post 26, rope 38 and fixed posts may be forced together to such a degree that it is extremely difiicult to either move the binding post 26 to allow for slip or to completely release the rope from its held position. This may be readily accomplished by the invention by applying a force in the upward direction to the binding post 26. This causes the bearing pin 2% to engage the upper cam surfaces provided by the bearing slots 3?; and 32 tending to force the binding post as rearwardly in the elongated slots 22 and 24 away from the fixed posts to. Thus the binding action on the rope 38 may be readily released.

As may be seen from the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawings, this invention provides a new and novel rope and cable holder having a distinct means therein for facilitating the application or release of the binding force exerted on a rope or cable held thereby.

It is to be understood, that the embodiment shown and described herein is for the purpose of example only and is not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. For example, the fixed posts in may be bowed outwardly intermediate the ends thereof, as shown at in FIG- URE 6, to conform to the diameter of the rope or cable passing therebetween. Also, the binding post 2d may be curved backward along the bracket it from the two fixed posts 16, as shown at 42 in FIGURE 7 which will enhance the binding force applied to the rope or cable during the application of the first tension thereto.

I claim:

1. Means for releasably retaining rope and cable comprising a mounting bracket, a pair of fixed spaced apart elongated vertical posts mounted one on either side of the front of said bracket, an elongated binding post generally coextensive with said pair of posts and being verticaliy disposed, movably mounted in said bracket whereby a rope or cable passing in between said fixed posts, around said binding post and out between said fixed posts may be held therebetween by a binding force exerted thereon by all of said posts in a direction mutually transverse of each of said posts, bearing means for maintaining said binding post in said bracket, and cam means supporting said bearing means whereby said binding action may be augmented or depleted by a force exerted vertically along the longitudinal axis of said binding post in the desired direction and substantially perpendicular to the said binding force.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 whereby said bearing means comprises a pin extending transversely through said binding post.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said bracket comprises a hollow rectangular body having a plurality of mounting flanges on one end thereof and open at the other end, said bracket including longitudinally disposed elongated slots in the upper and lower surfaces thereof for receiving said binding post.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said cam means comprises the inner edge surfaces of a pair of elongated slots in the vertical side surfaces of said hollow rectangular body of said bracket.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said fixed spaced apart vertical posts each include an outwardly bowed intermediate section therein contoured to the diameter of the rope or cable passing therebetween.

6. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein aid binding post is curved backward along said bracket from said fixed posts whereby the initial binding action on said rope or cable, when first placed under tension, is aug- Inented.

7, The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said fixed spaced apart vertical posts each include an outwardly bowed intermediate section therein contoured to the diameter of the rope or cable passing therebctween and wherein said binding post is curved backward along said bracket from said fixed posts whereby the initial binding action on said rope or cable, when first placed under tension, is augmented.

8. In a rope and cable retaining means including a mounting bracket, a pair of fixed spaced apart elongated vertical parallel posts mounted in said bracket and a binding post movably mounted in said bracket generally coextensive with said pair of posts and being vertically disposed and movable to a position between said posts for the purpose of exerting a binding force substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said posts on a rope or cable passing in between said fixed posts around said binding post and out between said fixed posts, cam means for movably mounting said binding post in said bracket adjacent said fixed posts whereby said binding force may be modified by the application of a force exerted along the longitudinal vertical axes of said binding post substantially perpendicular to the said binding force.

References in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 269,497 Gurney Dec. 19, 1882 1,457,029 Hazlett et al May 29, 1923 2,540,888 Hyatt Feb. 6, 1951 2,632,932 Blake Mar. 31., 1953 2,961,726 Belisle Nov. 26, 1960 FOREIGN P TEWTS 384,260 Germany Mar. 22, 1922 3,842 Great Britain Dec. 18, 1872 

